[Discuss] SteamOS 1.0 beta, code name "alchemist"

[richard.pieri at gmail.com (Richard Pieri)]

Valve's FAQ:
http://steamcommunity.com/groups/steamuniverse/discussions/1/648814395741989999/

Some interesting data points:

* Valve chose main line Debian as the foundation with some backports 
from testing.

Using main line Debian is a smart choice. While Ubuntu is a nicer 
(arguably) desktop, Steam on SteamOS doesn't run on the desktop. It runs 
/instead/ of the desktop directly on X.Org with its own compositor. 
Which is open source. The closed bits are the same closed bits you'd 
expect: various hardware drivers and their associated files, just like 
you get with Ubuntu or Mint or Debian with the non-free repositories 
enabled, and the Steam client itself.

* The primary installation mechanism is a CloneZilla image.

Using CloneZilla is another smart choice. It's a turnkey system: boot 
the USB stick, select the restore option, and watch it go. A few minutes 
later and it's done. No fuss, no muss, just a working Linux system.

* Base system requirements.

Using UEFI boot support as a minimum requirement is a clever way of 
drawing a line without specifying specific CPU models. The 4GB RAM 
requirement is /very/ lean -- at least for a Windows gaming rig. Few 
have less than 8GB these days, and 16GB is typical.


I'm curious to see how it handles the streaming mode where games run on 
a Windows computer somewhere and the SteamOS "console" puts it on it's 
display. I'm hoping for a fast, low-latency remote desktop system but 
I'm expecting something within the Steam client itself. The former would 
be much more useful than just game streaming.

-- 
Rich P.